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Must follow local laws: Indian govt on student arrest, deportation in US
A 37-year-old doctoral student in urban planning at Columbia University self-deported last week following the revocation of her visa.
Randhir Jaiswal / MEA
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on March 21 stated that it expects Indian nationals residing abroad to comply with local laws. The statement follows reports of deportation and arrests of Indian students in the United States over alleged links to the Hamas militant group.
“We have spoken on this issue on several occasions in the past that when it comes to visa and immigration policy, it is something that lies within the sovereign functions of a country,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on March 21 at a media briefing.
“We on our side, expect that when we have foreign nationals coming to India, they abide by our laws and regulations and similarly it is our expectation that when Indian nationals are abroad, they must also comply with local laws and regulations,” Jaiswal said.
Also Read: "We will take them back": MEA on Indians overstaying in US
The U.S. authorities revoked the student visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old doctoral student in urban planning at Columbia University, who self-deported last week. The Department of State cited security concerns over her alleged involvement in activities supporting Hamas, which led to the revocation of her visa.
Meanwhile, U.S. federal authorities arrested Badar Khan Suri, an Indian scholar and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Authorities accused him of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda.”
However, a U.S. federal judge on March 20 temporarily blocked his deportation. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles, stated, “It is ordered that petitioner shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the court issues a contrary order.”
Responding to Suri’s arrest, Jaiswal said, “We are given to understand through media reports that this individual has been detained. Neither the U.S. government nor the individual has approached us or the Embassy.”
The U.S. government has not publicly disclosed further details about the legal proceedings against Suri.
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